Moving and Spinning

 

This was another project to take along to my Sit and Knit group, SNB Rosanna. But it did take a long time to finish. Originally, I was going to block it before sewing it together and finishing the neckline and cuffs. However, it sat there unable to find space, as I spent the year, getting our house ready for sale, and, eventually, selling and moving. Currently, I don't have the space to block, either, and despite the fact that it's Summer and I don't really need it, I decided to finish it off, and, wear it.

For the past couple of years, I've been spinning up the fleeces and tops that I had in my stash. These are natural colours and I have lots of different colours, but not enough of one for a whole jumper. So, I have been searching for patterns that have multiple colours.

This pattern is from 'The Knitter'. It's knitted in two pieces, bottom up and include the sleeves. 

It was pretty easy to knit as most of the rows were either stocking stitch or garter stitch. There's one row where you do short row knitting to get the bobble. This row takes ages!

Fortunately, the yarn fit to the pattern pretty well. 

Sock Madness has started....again....for the 17th time

 Yes, indeed, Sock Madness has started again. Registration is up until the 14th February. If you want all the details about Sock Madness, it's on Ravelry at https://www.ravelry.com/groups/sock-madness-forever. If you're not on the worldwide knitting community that is Ravelry, perhaps you should have a look and see if it's for you.

Anyway, Sock Madness is, basically, a sock knitting competition, where everyone knits the same sock in two weeks. Over the 7 rounds there are fewer and fewer knitters as the time frame shortens and shortens. The patterns are amazing and you learn alot about knitting and yourself, and, you get a drawer full of beautiful handknit socks.

But I do have to ask myself why I keep doing it. I have an overwhelming number of handknit socks. My first Sock Madness was SM9 where my first socks were the Stroop Stroop socks, which were the warmup sock pattern for that year.

I've just finished this years warmup sock, which was one of three!

I continue to look forward to the challenge. It can be challenging, there are difficult patterns to interpret and knit fast. There are invariably, a new or nearly new technique to look up on Youtube, or figure out, along with fellow competitors. Again, the designs are amazing and done especially for the Madness. I love that people do this for free, they are so generous. We get a veritable library of patterns. 

I also like the competition. It's friendly and in many ways, collaborative as we help people with their difficulties, knowing that there will be someone to help us. But it's still a competition and that deadline, whether it's time based or numbers based motivates you to knit faster.

It's going to be interesting this year with one pattern apparently having a main colour and 34 different bits of colour.

I have bought myself a set of sock blockers, not so much to block the socks, but to be able to photograph them without have to get my feet in all sorts of positions. I hope it helps the moderators to view my finished socks also.

I've downloaded the other warmup socks, but don't have the time to knit them, I may never, but I have them. So, now, I wait impatiently for the 14th and the drop of the first pattern, the qualifying pattern.